UK TV GUIDES : CELEBRATING THE CARPENTERS ITV SPECIAL

[PJ]

Hi All,

Most UK TV Guides have small programme highlights for Celebrating The Carpenters ITV Special. Radio Times & TV Times have features on Carpenters music , Presenters & Performers plus Carpenters timeline history

Radio Times is not impressed with Saturdays Please Mr Postman with jerking buff dancers in Postman uniforms ....things get better.... Jamie Callum's Rainy Days & Mondays & Beverley Knight's We've Only Just Begun being singled out ....highlight of these covers : Indie rockers The Noisettes stunning version of Goodbye To Love ....quite different ( thank goodness no lame copy) from Carpenters classic ..... Saw The Noisettes recently on 2 UK music shows : terrrific energy & vocals ...fascinating to see how Carpenters cover turns out .....

Radio Times amusingly states in betwen there are strange contributions from Richard Carpenter himself : " I'm really honoured that the acts tonight are going to be singing our songs " he growls , looking as though he'd like to throttle them !!! ( Journalist interpretation ....)

TV Times has large 2 page feature titled : "Close to The Carpenters "with interviews of presenters Amanda Holden ( ideally she is better than usual !! ) & Solo / Boyzone Vocalist Ronan Keating ....both select Close to You as favourite Carpenters song & Ronan mentions how much he loves performing "I Won't Last A Day Without You "

Amanda feels Carpenters enduring appeal is down to strong song storylines , clear words & Carpenters pitch perfect vocals / harmonies.....Ronan that the melodies are incredible, some very complex & Carpenters performances are remarkable.

Both look forward to The Feeling ( Excellent Pop Group : wonder whether they can nail tricky Solitaire ? ) & Dionne Warwick with Close To You ....this should be totally diffeent to Warwick's 1960's first version .....

Finally there is Carpenters timeline from birthdates through career highlights to Karen's death & Richard's new albums of previously unissued Carpenters recordings

Only disappoinment : no interview with Richard on Special, selection of these songs, Groups & Artists & current projects .....

Plenty to look forward towards ......

Peter UK






Peter UK

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

Thanks for sharing, Peter!

I saw the Postman picture. It reminded me of We've Only Just Begun clip at BBC site before.
I have guessed Goodbye To Love would be very different.

Sakura

 

[PJ]

Hi All,

Just leaving work ....only 2 hours to CTC being shown ......

Really looking forward to ITV Special ....aside from linking into Carpenters 40th Anniversary & new 40/40 2 CD set .....it is great to have non -BBC programme in primetime featuring some great performers & new artists .....

Chrissie Hynde / Dionne Warwick / Ronan Keating as estabished acts ....

Plus Noisettes & Jamie Cullen as new talents ....

The Feeling ( seen in concert) covering Solitaire will be fascinating ....difficult classic song to perform .....

Looking forward to Richard's advice & comments plus archive material ....probably clips of Video Films plus USA performances unless BBC allowed / licenced TV performances / BBC Specials clips to be used .....

Enjoy the show : UK fans & sure this will be sold to USA . Japan , Europe soon for other fans .....

Peter UK

 

[newvillefan]

Having just watched it, I hgve to say the highlights for me were the clips showing Richard in new interview footage and clips of the Carpenters in concert. There was no real timeline of their career or coverage of her death, nor anything on Richard's past projects or even any reference to 40/40, other than the odd reference to whatever year this song or that was recorded.

Many friends commented to me on facebook and by text that Richard 'must be cringing' at the quality of the songs and readings. Only Ronan Keating and Beverley Knight recorded what were decent covers and predictably, no one even came near to the original Carpenters recordings, but I guess that wasn't what this was about: it was a tribute.

Most of it forgettable. Even Dionne Warwick struggled, although I have felt for some years now that her voice has all but gone.

 

[ThisBabeRocks]

It was such a disappointment but I think there's no one that comes close to being able to perform like Karen did. I liked Beverly Knights version of We've Only Just Begun but of course nothing on the original.

I agree that Richard was somewhat cringing at having to introduce acts performing his hits and I honestly saw it as a marketing ploy to buy 40/40.

If Richard is happy with tonights mediocre of performers singing his songs then surely he should release a Singstar game version or song pack for the Playstation 3 so us fans can enjoy the songs on a new level!!